Doctors advise patients to get flu shots as influenza season could flare up soon

Doctors advise patients to get flu shots as influenza season could flare up soon

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Updated: 5:53 PM EDT Aug 27, 2019

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AND FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY IS USING TWO HOTELS TO HOUSE ITS STUDENTS. KENNY: STUDENTS ARE BACK IN CLASS, AND FLU SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. BRIANA: HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING YOUR FLU SHOT YET? KIRSTEN GUTIERREZ SPOKE TO EXPERTS ABOUT WHO NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME. REPORTER: WITH KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL, IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO GET YOUR FAMILY VACCINATED. THIS DOCTOR RECOMMENDS EVERYONE OLDER THAN SIX MONTHS GET THE FLU SHOT ESPECIALLY NOW THAT KIDS ARE BACK IN CLASS. >> CHILDREN ARE PETRI PLATES. THE CHILD BRINGS THE VIRUS HOME FROM SCHOOL AND THEN THERE IS A GRANDMOTHER WITH AN AMINO COMPROMISING CONDITION OR HEALTH CARE CONDITION. >> NOW IS THE TIME TO START PREPARING. >> EARLY INFLUENZA SEASON COULD COME AS EARLY AS OCTOBER. SEPTEMBER IS A GREAT TIME TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT. >> IMMUNITY WANES A LITTLE BIT AS THE SEASON GOES ON, BUT GENERALLY NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. REPORTER IN WINSTON-SALEM, KIRSTEN GUTIERREZ, WXII 12 NEWS. KENNY: WAKE FOREST BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER WON’T HAVE F

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Doctors advise patients to get flu shots as influenza season could flare up soon

Flu season is right around the corner and what better way to prepare than to get your flu shot?With kids back in school, experts say it’s never too early to get your family vaccinated.Dr. Christopher Ohl recommends everyone older than 6 months should get the flu shot. “Children are petri plates to pick up germs to bring home to their families,” said Ohl, an infectious disease expert at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. “Sometimes for us in public health the issue is the child brings the virus home from school and then there’s grandmother or some adult in the household who has an immunocompromising condition or underlying health condition and the flu can be quite serious for those people.”If people have not thought about the flu yet, Ohl said now is the time to start preparing. “At least by the start of the season. Early influenza season sometimes will come up and that could be as early as October, so September is a great time to get your flu shot,” Ohl said. Ohl said the vaccination will not become ineffective later in the season. “Immunity weans a little bit as the season goes on, but generally not enough to make a difference,” Ohl said. Ohl said peak flu season is usually from January through early March but could begin earlier. The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center will not have the flu shot available until September, but CVS is already stocked.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

Flu season is right around the corner and what better way to prepare than to get your flu shot?

With kids back in school, experts say it’s never too early to get your family vaccinated.

“Children are petri plates to pick up germs to bring home to their families,” said Ohl, an infectious disease expert at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. “Sometimes for us in public health the issue is the child brings the virus home from school and then there’s grandmother or some adult in the household who has an immunocompromising condition or underlying health condition and the flu can be quite serious for those people.”

If people have not thought about the flu yet, Ohl said now is the time to start preparing.

“At least by the start of the season. Early influenza season sometimes will come up and that could be as early as October, so September is a great time to get your flu shot,” Ohl said.

Ohl said the vaccination will not become ineffective later in the season.

“Immunity weans a little bit as the season goes on, but generally not enough to make a difference,” Ohl said.

Ohl said peak flu season is usually from January through early March but could begin earlier.

The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center will not have the flu shot available until September, but CVS is already stocked.